State animal of Himachal Pradesh – complete detail – updated

State animal of Himachal Pradesh (Snow leopard) complete detail – updated. What is the name of state animal of Himachal Pradesh. Description of state animal of Himachal Pradesh. Habit and habitat of Snow leopard. They prefer steep, rocky and broken terrain. Cliffs and major ridge-lines are preferred for daytime resting.

Snow leopard is a beautiful animal. The color of body is cream-yellow or white to Smokey-grey, with white or yellow tinged fur and patterned dark-grey to black rosettes and spots. They have small rounded ears that help to minimize heat loss. The nasal cavity is enlarged, that warms the cold air as it is breathed in. Young snow leopards have longitudinal black stripes across the middle of their back xtending from the base of their head to their tail. As they mature, these stripes break…………..

Their eyes are pale green or grey in color. The tail is long and flexible, and is used for maintain their balance in the steep and rocky terrain they inhabit, and also use for balancing at the time of hunting. Their tails are also very thick due to storage of fat and are very thickly covered with fur which allows them to be used like a blanket to protect their faces when asleep………..

The snow leopard is a solitary animal. Breeding season is between between January to March. Age of sexual maturity is 3 to 4 years for male and 2 to 3 years for female. When females are in estrus, they make a continuous yowling sound that is required to attract males.

Distinctive Identification

Snow leopard is a Schedule – I animal, according to wildlife (Protection) act, 1972 and classified as Endangered (EN) by the IUCN.

The weight of male snow leopard is between 45 to 60 kg., and weight of female snow leopard is between 30 to 45 kg. Size between 90 to 130 cm. and the length of tail is between 70 to 100 cm. They are about 50 to 65 cm high at the shoulder.

Snow leopard is a beautiful animal. The color of body is cream-yellow or white to Smokey-grey, with white or yellow tinged fur and patterned dark-grey to black rosettes and spots.

White tint generally found on the underbody. Rosettes are larger rings encircling smaller spots and are only found on the body and tail, whereas the solid spots are found on the head, neck and lower limbs.

They have long body hair and thick, woolly belly fur, large paws and a well-developed chest. Their paws are wide, and the front paws are slightly larger than the hind paws that increase the agility and jumping ability.

They have small rounded ears that help to minimize heat loss. The nasal cavity is enlarged, that warms the cold air as it is breathed in. Their eyes are pale green or grey in color.

The tail is long and flexible, and is used for maintain their balance in the steep and rocky terrain they inhabit, and also use for balancing at the time of hunting. Their tails are also very thick due to storage of fat and are very thickly covered with fur which allows them to be used like a blanket to protect their faces when asleep.

Young snow leopards have longitudinal black stripes across the middle of their back extending from the base of their head to their tail. As they mature, these stripes break up into large spots forming two lateral rows of elongated rings along the center of the back.

Classification

Common Name – Snow leopard

Local Name – Him tendua

Zoological Name – Panthera uncia

Kingdom – Animalia

Phylum – Chordata

Class – Mammalia

Order – Carnivora

Family – Felidae

Genus – Panthera

Species – Panthera uncia

Conservational Status – Schedule – I, according to wildlife (Protection) act, 1972 and classified as Endangered (EN) by the IUCN.

Distribution

Snow leopards are distributed throughout the high mountain ranges of Central Asia. This includes the entire Himalayan mountain system, as well as areas in Bhutan, Nepal and the Siberian region of Russia. They are found at high elevations of 3000-5000 meters, and even higher in the Himalayas.

In summer, they usually live above the tree line on mountainous meadows and in rocky regions at altitudes from 2,700 to 58,000 m. In winter, they come down into the forests to altitudes around 1,000 to 2,000 m.

Habit and habitat

They prefer steep, rocky and broken terrain. Cliffs and major ridgelines are preferred for daytime resting. Snow leopards live in alpine and subalpine zones from elevations of 1000 to 5,500 meters or higher, but generally at altitudes between 3,000 and 5,000 meters. In the winter they may migrate to lower elevations of 1000 meters.

They move from one location to another on a daily basis and shift their bedding site multiple times during a day.

Snow leopards have a well-defined home range, but does not defend its territory aggressively when encroached upon by other snow leopards.

They use scent marks to indicate their territories and common travel routes. These are most commonly produced by scraping the ground with the hind feet before depositing urine and scat.

The snow leopard is a solitary animal, but pair during mating season as well as share each other’s home ranges. Females also with her cubs. They prefer to rest upon elevated structures.

Age of sexual maturity is 3 to 4 years for male and 2 to 3 years for female.

Breeding season is between January to March. When females are in estrus, they make a continuous yowling sound that is required to attract males. The female presents herself to the male by raising her tail and walking in front of him, ensuring her anal region is clearly visible.

Snow leopards mate in the usual felid posture, from 12 to 36 times a day. Gestation period is between 90 to 100 days.

Cubs 2 to 4, cubs are blind at birth, although already with a thick coat of fur, and weigh from 300 to 570 g. Their eyes open at around one week, and the cubs can walk at five weeks and are fully weaned by 10 weeks.

The cubs leave the den when they are around two to four months of age, but remain with their mother until they become independent after around 1.5 to 2 year. Average lifespan of Snow leopard is 15 to 18 years.